Part-Time Taoist Priest 17

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Yin in the Left Eye

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Initially, Xie Lingya was furious at the ghost. The ghost had pretended to be Luo Xiaojun to scam offerings and they had been led around the whole day for naught. But after the ghost told his story, Xie Lingya was left speechless.

Ghosts were similar to humans. They came in all forms and shapes, each with their own quirks and personality. There were ghosts who bullied the weak but feared the strong. There were malevolent ghosts; there were stupid ghosts. There were even ghosts who were afraid of death like Ding Aima.

Ghosts even schemed against each other. Lies and deceptions; how different were they from the living? No wonder Ding Aima didn’t want to reincarnate.

“Stop crying! Use your brain—if this candlelight trick worked, why would that old ghost make an exchange with you? He would’ve forced people to send him offerings. And what had poor Manager Bai ever done to you?” Xie Lingya reprimanded.

The ghost dared not continue his wailing. He crouched on the floor, shivering for fear of getting another beating from Xie Lingya. “It’s my fault. I was wrong. I’m really sorry.”

Xie Lingya looked at his prone form and considered his options. How should he proceed? He turned to ask Shi Changxuan uncertainly, “Wouldn’t directly exterminating him like this be a bit too much?”

After all, this fellow did not succeed in his crime and he was sincere in his remorse. And he really was too… stupid. No wonder he hadn’t had a meal for over ten years. Even someone as infamously savage as Xie Lingya was hesitant over the next course of action.

The ghost was scared out of his wits. He prostrated himself and begged, “No! Please, Master! Please spare me! I won’t do it again!”

Shi Changxuan, being much more experienced in this line of business, told Xie Lingya that they would usually just purify the spirit.

“Wah, isn’t that letting him off too easily? He even threatened me,” Xie Lingya said, indulging in his pettiness.

Shi Changxuan: “……”

Xie Lingya was different from traditional Taoist priests. Unless the spirits were irredeemable and had gravely harmed others, priests would normally perform salvation and purification rites to wash away their grievances and make them realize their wrongdoings. The rest was up to the gods.

Xie Lingya, on the other hand, was more concerned about things right in front of him, like whether he was happy or not.

He stared at the ghost for a long while and suddenly was reminded of what Ding Aima told him. He had an idea. “Alright, tomorrow we’ll give you food. After that, you have to come with us. You’ll be put on patrol duty for our street during the night. If you really prove yourself to have changed for the better, we will purify you in the next purification ceremony.”

Shi Changxuan was surprised.

Perhaps the ghost had never met such a master, for he was dumbfounded for a while. Just as Xie Lingya was wondering if the condition he offered was too difficult to accept, the ghost started crying again. “Will you really give me food tomorrow…?”

Xie Lingya: “……”

This fellow had gone hungry for too long, all he heard was “food”.

Xie Lingya pulled him up again and gave him a good talking. The ghost nodded fervently. As long as they fed him, he’d agree to anything.

Xie Lingya was finally satisfied. He asked the ghost for his personal information. The ghost’s name was Qin Limin, a local of Niuyang. He died approximately nineteen years ago in an accident and became a wandering spirit. He was unable to reincarnate so he wandered the mortal realm.

Since this incident was caused by Qin Limin, it was clear that Luo Xiaojun had nothing to do with this. Luo Xiaojun’s death was most likely an accident. It was wet in the shaft and he slipped into the loading pocket. The miners had a preconceived bias about the feng shui and hence they became paranoid.

And because of the accidental death, Luo Xiaojun’s spirit had yet to accept his death. Up until now, he was still trying to climb out of the shaft. But that was it. Perhaps it frightened many people, but all of Luo Xiaojun’s actions were done subconsciously, without any malicious intent.

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The next day, Xie Lingya went to meet with Manager Bai. Before he could say anything, Manager Bai started, “I had a dream last night where a thin man bowed to me. And this morning when I woke up, I felt revitalized.”

He had not fully recovered after falling ill from the supernatural encounter and had been resting at home ever since being discharged from the hospital. 

Previously, when Manager Bai encountered the ghost, it was all a dark shadow, but this time his description matched Qin Limin. Xie Lingya paused in surprise for a moment and then nodded. It seemed like Qin Limin had apologized, so Xie Lingya told Manager Bai the whole story.

Manager Bai’s jaw dropped. He had always been a firm non-believer. Even having come face-to-face with a ghost, he couldn’t imagine the truth to be so outlandish and even involved a scamming ghost.

“So, my suggestion is that the new building does not need to be moved or changed. The three-day ceremony is not necessary either. It would be enough to just perform a three-hour purification ceremony to send away Luo Xiaojun and other wandering spirits around Willow River Mines,” Xie Lingya said, then added, “Of course, the commission is much lower and we could renegotiate.”

In Niuyang City, ordinary purification and salvation ceremonies cost a few thousand, and that was only without considering the reputation of the priest. More skilled priests had additional charges. In the mining areas, the charges were usually higher and should be within tens of thousands.

Yi Shui Mining Company had previously promised an amount of one hundred and fifty thousand yuan. Manager Bai was surprised that Xie Lingya offered to lower the commission.

Manager Bai thought it over for a moment, then said, “I would pay Teacher Xie one hundred thousand to perform the purification ceremony. In addition, please sell us a magical artifact to protect the new building.”

It took Xie Lingya a few seconds to react. He nodded quickly. “Sure. Don’t worry, Manager Bai. I have a pair of stone lions which are suitable for the entrance.”

The two exchanged a knowing look and smiled.

That’s right. There was nothing wrong with the feng shui of the building and Baoyang did not have any stone lions either. This act of “selling” them a magical artifact was just a trick to help Manager Bai comfort the people of Willow River Mine.

Rumors abound and everyone believed all the mishaps happened due to the feng shui of the new building. Just having a purification ceremony was not enough. These supernatural affairs couldn’t be explained clearly either. They might as well play along, so that the matter wouldn’t be brought up again.

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Xie Lingya performed a simple purification ceremony at Willow River Mines. Although it was his first, he was very adept at memorizing the scriptures. He summoned Luo Xiaojun’s spirit and awakened him with holy water. It was only now that Luo Xiaojun realized that he was already dead. He cried woefully.

On the other hand, the unlucky Qin Limin eagerly rubbed himself clean with the holy water, then held onto the food that Xie Lingya offered, gobbling it down hungrily.

He even found time to urge Luo Xiaojun, “Hey bro, why aren’t you eating? Our Teacher Xie is feeding you! Hurry!”

Now that Qin Limin was fed, Xie Lingya had become a “father figure” in his heart.¹T/N: In Chinese web language, people like call those who are rich or give them their livelihood father. Like Jack Ma of Alibaba is often called Daddy Ma, 马爸爸. It’s like more innocent version of ‘sugar daddy,’ I guess.

Luo Xiaojun rubbed his eyes. Then he grabbed the food and chewed, turning his agony into appetite for food.

Manager Bai, who was watching the procession from the side, turned to Mr. Liu and asked, “Do you feel cold?”

Mr. Liu was taken aback and broke out in cold sweat. “I-I I don’t know…”

Manager Bai’s vitality was weak after his ghostly encounter so he felt something out of the norm. Seeing how frightened Mr. Liu was, he said nothing more.

Manager Bai was initially uneasy, but after Xie Lingya explained the truth behind the incident, his fear dissipated. So being a ghost was this difficult? Not very different from being a human.

After the ceremony, the poor ghosts around the mines would all be purified. That was good.

When Luo Xiaojun was done with the food, Xie Lingya recited a prayer to cleanse him of his sins. When he was done, he took the opportunity to ask Luo Xiaojun, “So, how do you feel now?”

Mr. Liu saw Xie Lingya speaking to an empty space. His legs trembled and he moved closer to Manager Bai.

Luo Xiaojun was quiet, then he said dejectedly, “I’m just sad that I need to leave… sigh.”

Even though his face was calm and tranquil, his heart was still heavy with feelings. Before Xie Lingya could ask more, Luo Xiaojun left in a gust of wind.

The wind passed by Manager Bai and Mr. Liu. Then, Xie Lingya informed them that Luo Xiaojun had left, and both of them let out a sigh of relief. But Mr. Liu’s relief was from fear, while Manager Bai just felt safe and contemplative.

The ceremony was completed, so Shi Changxuan left in advance to go back to classes. Xie Lingya on the other hand contacted the supplier who made the Spirit Official’s statue to purchase a pair of stone lions. The supplier didn’t only supply brass statues, but other items as well.

The stone lions were placed in front of the new building of Willow River Mines and attracted the attention of many employees. It was no secret that several “masters” had come to the mines. They even heard that the masters were invited from Niuyang City.

And in just two days, Manager Bai had recovered from his illness.  The miners in the shaft also said that they no longer heard any strange noises. Now that the stone lions were installed, the feng shui was fixed and there probably wouldn’t be any more mishaps in the future.

Xie Lingya helped Manager Bai  put on a show and received the hundred thousand yuan commission before happily heading back home.

We are rich! We are rich! We can now change the statues of the other gods!

Xie Lingya brought Qin Limin to the city and ordered him to patrol the pedestrian streets around the temple. He was tasked to look out for people dropping their wallets, robberies, and the like.

Xie Lingya even introduced him to Ding Aima. He intended to let them keep each other in check.

When the two ghosts met, they felt sympathy and respect for each other. Xie Lingya thought that was normal. After all, the two were peculiar ghosts, even though they exhibited their peculiarities in different ways.

Regarding the one hundred thousand yuan commission that Xie Lingya just received, he forced Shi Changxuan to accept 30%. Then he spent most of the balance on new brass statues for the gods and renovations of the temple. Not much was left after that.

However, there were many more visitors at Baoyang Temple these days. Although most of them were only there for sightseeing, there was still an increase in the people burning incense. 

They had earned a neat sum from selling minor talismans and had since then stopped selling mosquito-repelling talismans. The sales of other talismans had passed the peak but were still doing well. Personal protection charms on the other hand had increased in sales due to the effect of the Ghost Festival ceremony.

Including other income, like donations, and after deducting costs from daily operations and wages, the temple had a net profit of thirty thousand yuan last month. That was why Xie Lingya wasn’t particularly unwilling to part with the commission from Willow River Mines.

This thirty thousand yuan had given Xie Lingya some confidence. They were still a long way from gold statues and bigger buildings, but at the very least the temple was livelier and they had the foundation to hire more priests. One priest was just too shabby.

Xie Lingya raised  Zhang Daoting’s basic wage to fifteen hundred yuan. Then, he posted an online recruitment ad, hoping more Taoist priests would be attracted by their temple’s potential for growth.

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The brass statues of the Three Purities were the first ones to be completed. A small ceremony was held for the consecration. Only registered worshippers participated. Xie Lingya let Zhang Daoting perform the ceremony to gain more experience.

For this ceremony, Shi Changxuan brought over his teacher and classmates. This was how religious studies classes were conducted—besides learning theory, they also needed to have practical knowledge of religions in different regions, including observing some ceremonies.

The local temples were, of course, the most convenient ones for their observations. Although Shi Changxuan had seen many consecration ceremonies and had even performed some, as a student he still needed to attend this one.

Before coming over, Shi Changxuan had asked Xie Lingya. His mentor had also contacted Xie Lingya by hone to get his approval.

Religious studies was certainly an unpopular subject. Shi Changxuan’s mentor only had two students. Shi Changxuan’s only peer was a male student from another province, who was supposedly a graduate student from another major.

Shi Changxuan’s mentor had the same surname as Xie Lingya, he was called Xie Fan. When he got to the temple he mentioned that although he was teaching in Niuyang, he had never been to Baoyang Temple.

Xie Lingya thought in his heart, Well that isn’t very unexpected, even local residents have never been here. Baoyang Temple was too obscure previously.

After the ceremony, Xie Fan gave his two students new homework and left. Shi Changxuan, of course, did not leave. Seeing this, his classmate said, “You’re hanging around here? Then I’ll sit here for a while too, then we can leave together.”

—He obviously did not know that Shi Changxuan lived there nor was he aware of his relationship with Baoyang Temple.

It was fine that he wanted to stay. Xie Lingya went to make some tea and thought Shi Changxuan was really too quiet; he didn’t even let his sole classmate know that he was a huoju daoshi?

Shi Changxuan plainly said, “I live here.”

His classmate’s name was Huang Jinyang. His appearance was a little bit peculiar: the eyelashes of his left eye were slightly longer than those of the right, and his left eye often closed unnaturally, as if it couldn’t bear the sunlight. Due to this, his chin was always lifted and he looked at people with his head tilted.

Xie Lingya initially thought that the eye had problems but discovered that, although it was always closed, when it was open, it could still see.

Now, Huang Jinyang’s left eye was open and due to the sudden exposure to light, it was slightly red. With his head still tilted, he looked at Shi Changxuan in surprise. “What? You live here?”

Shi Changxuan nodded silently.

“Why are you staying here? Weren’t you renting a place? Is this the place you rented? Or are you related to Mr. Xie?” Huang Jinyang asked without pause.

Shi Changxuan: “……”

Xie Lingya did not know why Shi Changxuan went silent again. He looked at him strangely, then said, “Shi Daozhang is a huoju daoshi. It is more convenient for him to live here with us.”

Huang Jinyang was embarrassed. He thought Shi Changxuan and Xie Lingya were relatives. He didn’t think that his classmate would be a Taoist priest. “But you went to a Buddhist temple with us last week for the field trip…”

Xie Lingya: “Ah, a Buddhist temple? Thankfully he isn’t a full-time Taoist priest then, otherwise, he might not have been allowed to enter in his attire.”

Shi Changxuan: “…En.”

After overcoming his shock, Huang Jinyang thought it was quite funny. “I really wouldn’t have guessed. Oh my god, haha.”

“Shi Daozhang  doesn’t like to speak in school either?” Xie Lingya teased while serving them tea.

“Hahaha, you can say so.” Huang Jinyang sat on the chair and took a sip of tea. He let out a sigh and looked relaxed. “I really like it here…”

Unlike other temples, despite the crowd of visitors, there was a sense of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle.

Body language didn’t lie. Huang Jinyang didn’t look like he was trying to be polite and honestly looked like he liked the place. Xie Lingya smiled and said, “Then come more often.”

Huang Jinyang nodded.

They were of the same age and Xie Lingya was a student at Quedong College, so they had some common things to chat about. As they were conversing, Xie Lingya noticed that Huang Jinyang had opened his left eye. 

He asked curiously, “Did you undergo eye surgery and can’t stand the sunlight?”

They were indoors, so Xie Lingya made a guess.

“No.” Huang Jinyang’s expression changed when the subject was brought up. He calmly pointed to his left eye. “It is because this eye could see unclean things since I was young.”

Shi Changxuan and Xie Lingya were silent after hearing that.

Seeing their reaction, Huang Jinyang got flustered. “Erm… you guys don’t believe me?”

No. It didn’t look like the reaction of people not believing. Their expressions looked more like they just heard someone tell them the sun was out again today.

His left eye had been able to see unusual things since he was born. He was always trying to avoid seeing those things, so he habitually closed his left eye. As time passed, he became used to keeping his left eye closed even when he was out in the sun, so some people thought he had some kind of eye disease. He already became accustomed to getting all sorts of reactions when he told his friends about his predicament.

He had spoken casually and was ready for them to take it as a joke. He did not expect them to be so indifferent.

Xie Lingya replied, “No, I believe you…”

“You do?” Huang Jinyang was confused. “If you believe me, why didn’t you show some reaction?”

Reaction? Xie Lingya disconcertedly thought, Well, I figured it would be bad to look like I pitied you?

After all, you are the only one in this room who can see ghosts with one eye and can’t control it…

“I know, since you live in a temple, you must have also encountered some supernatural things,” Huang Jinyang, not getting a reply, made up an excuse by himself.

“You could say so. You never tried to ask someone to seal your eye?” Xie Lingya inquired.

There were indeed people born with the ability to see supernatural beings of the yin realm. There were also ways in Taoist arts to block the ability as to not affect daily life.

Xie Lingya was actually wondering if Shi Changxuan had really not noticed. But remembering that Shi Changxuan never chatted with others, it might be that the topic never came up, or even if he noticed something he wouldn’t have taken the initiative to ask about it.

“I have always evaded the issue since I was young. I didn’t dare to tell anyone so I just close my left eye whenever I see unclean things and it has become a habit. Only when I was older did I come to know it could be sealed.” Huang Jinyang laughed dryly. “But it was too late by then. They said I was too old and it was hard to seal off the eye. I usually just keep the eye closed and avoid going out at night.”

Xie Lingya guessed it was likely that he majored in religious studies because of this. Xie Lingya had never met someone with Yin-Yang eyes. This eye that could see ghosts sounded quite fashionable. If he was in a novel he would be destined to be the main character.

But, as seen with Huang Jinyang, in reality, it was too miserable. It wasn’t fashionable at all to close one eye all the time and look at others with a tilted head.

Xie Lingya: “That is indeed difficult. At most, I would suggest that you wear a pair of glasses with the left side tinted so that you wouldn’t have to close one eye…”

Huang Jinyang: “……”

Xie Lingya continued, “But we could ask Shi Daozhang if he knows of any special methods.”

Shi Changxuan replied, “There is a talisman that could solve this problem but it requires the stamp of Celestial Master Zhang’s Dougong Seal.”

Celestial Master Zhang was obviously referring to Zhang Daoling, the founder of  Zheng Yi Sect.

Xie Lingya had limited knowledge in Taoism while Huang Jinyang wasn’t even a beginner.  The two of them were clueless. Celestial Master Zhang was easy to understand but what was a Dougong Seal?

Shi Changxuan went silent for three seconds before helplessly explaining, “According to the legend, before the founder transcended, he left a sword, a seal, and a fingernail behind in the mortal realm. The sword is the San Wu Evil Slaying Twin Sword that could split into two swords and vanquish all evil. The seal is the Yangpingzhi Dougong Seal. The jade seal, when stamped onto talismans, could treat maladies, while the fingernail could summon the founder to the mortal realm if a bit of it was grated and burned together with incense.

“The fingernail was lost to time. The sword is venerated by the founder’s descendants. And the seal…”

Zheng Yi Sect, in this day and age, had developed into many different schools and sects; Shi Changxuan’s family was only one of its many branches. Celestial Master Zhang himself had direct descendants. Each generation of the Celestial Master was a descendent of his and they had continued passing the torch down for over sixty generations. 

Xie Lingya and Huang Jinyang were listening attentively as if it was a legendary tale. Xie Lingya even let his imagination run wild. “This seal… could it have gone to other branches of  Zheng Yi Sect and the descendants of Celestial Master Zhang wanted it back… Oh my god, it isn’t in your home, is it? Kept by your father? Or is it in the hands of other sects?”

Huang Jinyang also made his own guesses, “Are there so many real and fake seals that we couldn’t tell them apart to this day?”

With some difficulty, ShiChangxuan could only softly answer, “…Yangpingzhi Dougong Seal is currently in the provincial museum.”

Xie Lingya and Huang Jinyang: “……”

Xie Lingya and Huang Jinyang looked at each other sheepishly. Then as if nothing had happened, Xie Lingya said, “Oh, it has been handed over to the country. Then there is no chance. Are there any other ways?”

Xie Lingya quickly changed the subject. At this moment, he did not yet know the waves this Yangpingzhi Dougong Seal would create in the future.

Shi Changxuan thought for a moment, “It may be worth trying a luck-changing talisman. Although the left eye can’t be sealed now, if the luck is improved, you’re less likely to encounter things from the yin realm.”

Huang Jinyang was filled with hope. If they couldn’t seal off the Yin-Yang eye, being able to reduce the encounters with these supernatural things was fine too. His tilted head was indeed unsightly and was one of the main reasons for his single status.

Xie Lingya pondered over that suggestion, “Luck-changing talisman? I don’t know how to draw this.”

Huang Jinyang turned to Shi Changxuan intending to ask if he knew how to draw one.

Before his eyes met Shi Changxuan’s, Xie Lingya stroked his chin and said, “Give me ten minutes. I’ll go learn it now.”

Huang Jinyang: “……”

Shi Changxuan: “……”

Under Shi Changxuan’s ever profound gaze, Xie Lingya managed to draw out a luck-changing talisman. He handed it to Huang Jinyang for a trial.

Although Huang Jinyang had exhausted many methods over the years, he still kept a positive outlook. Hopeful, he thanked the two and happily tucked the talisman away.

Xie Lingya sent off Huang Jinyang at the temple gate and reminded him to give feedback on the talisman’s efficacy so that Xie Lingya could know how effective it was.

After Huang Jinyang left, Xie Lingya leaned against the gate and checked a message he’d received from He Zun. The message asked if Xie Lingya had any talismans that could get him a date. Xie Lingya gave him a one-word reply: No.

“Hello, is the abbot in?” he heard suddenly. He looked up and saw a man, about thirty years old, asking a volunteer with a bit of a foreign accent.

This person had a refined air around him and seemed well-mannered; he was even wearing a pair of glasses. The volunteer immediately turned to Xie Lingya and yelled, “Xiao Xie!”

They did not have an abbot, but they had a proprietor who employed two people including himself. 

The man regarded Xie Lingya, especially his facial features. “Young man, what’s your relationship with Wang Yuji?”

As the saying went, the nephew looked like the uncle. Xie Lingya and Wang Yuji shared some similarities in appearance. Xie Lingya guessed that this person knew Wang Yuji, so he answered, “I’m his nephew. And you are?”

This person called Wang Yuji by name but did not know that he had passed away. They were probably distant acquaintances. The man didn’t look much older than himself, so Xie Lingya thought that unless the man corrected how he addressed him, he wouldn’t call him uncle.

The man noticed this. He adjusted his glasses and smiled, “I am Hai Guanchao. Your uncle had honored me as his teacher. You can call me Shigong.”²T/N: 师公 – “the master’s master”, where the seniority is not based on the student’s age or level of skill, but on the chronological order of following a particular master.

Xie Lingya: “……”

…Could your seniority rise even faster?

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Translator: Velvet
TL checker: Darkchocolatesan
Editors: Darkchocolatesan, Miiya
Proofreader: Taalia

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